Believe it or not, the first month of 2014 is already in the books. If you’re anything like us here at Blackburn Nissan, it’s easy to lose track of time when you are almost constantly digging yourself out from beneath a nice, thick blanket of snow, but we digress. Nissan Group has announced its first month sales figures, and the results are enough to warm our hearts (though maybe not necessarily enough to warm our hands).

Nissan Group total sales in the United States for January totaled 90,470 units, which is nearly a full 10,000 units better than January 2013 sales and good for an 11.8 percent increase. Nissan division sales accounted for 81,472 of that figure, good for a 10.4 percent jump over 2013; and Infiniti sales came in just under 9,000 and leapt an astounding 26.3 percent.

What’s more, in just the second full month of sales for the all-new 2014 Rogue, the CUV set a January record by delivering 13,831 models and increasing 54.5 percent over the previous January.

2014 Nissan Altima

The Altima was Nissan’s top-seller with 22,515 units sold, which is a 4.9 percent improvement over last year. The LEAF also had an impressive month; its total of 1,252 deliveries marks a 92.6 percent increase over the beginning of 2013 and represents a promising trend for EVs in 2014.

More information on individual Nissan and Infiniti models can be found at the official press release. To test drive the latest Nissan vehicles, stop in and see us at Blackburn today!

Nissan is bringing something altogether revolutionary to this year’s Le Mans race with the Nissan ZEOD RC. Not only will the Nissan racer look entirely futuristic from the outside, but what’s found on the inside will be equally future-savvy. Supplementing the power-plant that will allow the Nissan ZEOD RC to become the first Le Mans vehicle to complete a lap on nothing more than electric power will be the Nissan DIG-T R 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo engine.

The Nissan DIG-T R 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo will be an incredible paradox: it will weigh a mere 88 pounds and fit easily inside of your airport luggage, but it will nonetheless deliver an absurd 400 horsepower. The old axiom about big things coming in small packages has never been more fitting.

The Nissan ZEOD RC will reside in “Garage 56” at Le Mans this year, where it will join other groundbreaking prototype racers. When Nissan enters the LM P1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship next year, the ZEOD RC and aspects of its development and performance will play a considerable factor in creating the vehicle they bring to the party.

“Our engine team has done a truly remarkable job with the internal combustion engine,” said Darren Cox, Nissan’s Global Motorsport Director, in a press release. “We knew the electric component of the Nissan ZEOD RC was certainly going to turn heads at Le Mans, but our combined zero emission on demand electric/petrol powerplant is quite a stunning piece of engineering. Nissan will become the first major manufacturer to use a three-cylinder engine in major international motorsport. We’re aiming to maintain our position as industry leaders in focusing on downsizing. Lessons learned from the development of the engine will be seen in Nissan road cars of the future.

“Our aim is to set new standards in efficiency in regards to every aspect of the car: powertrain, aerodynamics and handling,” Cox continued. “For the powertrain, we have worked closely with the team at Total to not only reduce friction inside the engine but within all components of the powertrain. Friction is the enemy of horsepower, and tackling that has been one of the efficiency targets we have concentrated on heavily.”

The Nissan ZEOD RC and the DIG-TR 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo engine will be tested continuously over the next four months before finally debuting at Le Mans 24 Hours on June 14 and 15. To see what the developments could lead to in Nissan’s future, stay tuned to the Blackburn Nissan blog!

The Nissan GT-R may be one of the most anticipated vehicles to hit the market for the 2015 model year. Driving a Nissan GT-R can be exciting as it is one of the hottest supercars on the market. For 2015, Nissan incorporated a few changes to give this performance packed vehicle a more refined look and feel. These changes include: enhanced exterior appearance, a premium interior, a recalibrated suspension, and a carbon-style instrument cluster.

The exterior got upgraded efficient multi-LED headlights, upgraded taillights, and a new exterior body color choice. Inside the GT-R is a new Bose Active Noise Cancellation system that helps reduce exterior noises and improve the GT-R’s overall ride quality. The interior will also be available in three unique colors giving you the ability to customize your all-new GT-R more than ever before.

For the 2015 model year, the Nissan GT-R will be available in three unique trims: GT-R Premium, GT-R Black Edition, and GT-R Track Edition. A fourth trim level (GT-R NISMO) will be introduced later in the year.

The 2015 Nissan GT-R is coming soon and at Blackburn Nissan we cannot wait to see it! Are you looking forward to the 2015 GT-R? Let us know in the comment section below!

Each year, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Autoweek give awards for Best in Show, Most Significant, Most Fun, and Best Concept to the most exciting and innovative cars brought to the expo. This year, Nissan is the big winner, as the Nissan Sports Sedan Concept took home the Best Concept award. The Sports Sedan Concept distanced itself from its competition, the Kia G4 Stinger and the Toyota FT-1, through its revolutionary design, which provides a glimpse into the future design of all Nissan vehicles.

“The Sport Sedan Concept is an extremely important vehicle for Nissan because it demonstrates a new and energetic design direction that builds on Nissan’s legendary approach of applying sports car principles to a sedan,” said Nissan senior vice president and chief creative officer, Shiro Nakamura. “To receive this recognition reinforces that Nissan is headed full speed in the right direction, and this is only a sign of good things to come.”

Of course, some of those good things are already here, and you can come see them at Blackburn Nissan. We’ll take you for a test drive, talk to you about the Nissan lineup, and even chat about what the Sports Sedan Concept means for you. Come on in!

Autonomous drive vehicles seem somewhat futuristic, but Nissan is hoping to have commercially viable autonomous drive vehicles on the road by 2020. To reach this goal, they have begun testing in Japan. Autonomous vehicles are getting lots of attention in Japan as their prime minister and other top officials have taken these vehicles out for a spin. These vehicles are even allowed on the highways!

The IHS report on autonomous vehicles states that the first generation of these vehicles will have to be co-piloted by a human who is ready to take control of the car if needed. They also say that completely independent vehicles could make their way to the market as early as 2030. Nissan hopes that once these vehicles become commercialized; there will be reduced accidents on the road resulting in less injuries and fatalities.

At Blackburn Nissan, we are proud to be a part of a company who likes to push the limits with innovations and new technologies. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for Nissan’s autonomous vehicles.

Do you think autonomous vehicles will be available to consumers sooner or later? Do you think they will be available in the US or overseas first? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

It’s well known that weather can have a huge effect on the range of your all-electric car, whether it’s bitter cold or scorching heat. How drastic can that change be though? According to FleetCarma, the best possible range of the Nissan LEAF is still over 100 miles, one of the highest in its class.

The data collected, which examines just how well all-electric cars drive in extreme conditions, shows that the LEAF’s average range of 64 miles can be increased to 106 miles, easily out driving the Chevrolet Volt, which received an average range of 26 miles. All you have to do is change a few of your driving habits to increase your LEAF’s range.

In order to increase your Nissan LEAF’s range in extreme weather conditions, utilize your regenerative braking as much as possible on clear roads, ensuring that your battery will keep receiving charges throughout your trip. Also, preheat or cool the cabin before you unplug your vehicle from its charging station. This will ensure you won’t lose your power before setting off on your next adventure!

The Heisman Trophy will be showcased at our dealership in Vicksburg, Mississippi from December 19th and now extended through the 26th. Come to the dealership to get your picture taken with the iconic sports memorabilia and strike your best Heisman pose! We will be posting the pictures to our Facebook wall. The photo with the most likes just after New Year will receive $50 in Visa Gift Cards.

The Heisman Trophy was originally known as the DAC trophy and was presented to its first winner, Jay Berwanger, in 1935. The trophy features a statue of a football player strait-arming a tackler and side-stepping. In 1936, following John W. Heisman’s death, the trophy was renamed. Heisman was well-known for being a strong American athlete and an inventive football mogul.

This year the trophy was awarded to Jameis Winston a quarterback from Florida State University. The trophy was awarded on December 14th broadcasted live from the Best Buy Theater in Times Square on ESPN.